More Actors Come Forward on Draft Dodging

Actor Song Seung-hun

27-year-old actor Song Seung-hun, who admitted to illegal draft-dodging, will come back to Korea from Australia on Monday, police said Sunday. The police said, ¡°It is hard to force Song to appear because the period of statutory limitation has already passed, but we will ask for his full cooperation in the investigaton.¡±

Song, who was filming a W70 billion soap opera "Sad Song" in Sidney, Australia last week, had sent a hand-written letter admitting his implication in the draft dodging saying,¡°I was afraid I might have to stop acting forever if I had stopped appearing on television for two years,¡± and added, ¡°I am deeply sorry I cause so much pain and disappointment to my fans.¡±

The police said, ¡°A Mr. Shin, who was arrested on Thursday under the same charge, only admitted to his own crimes, and strongly denied any kind of connection between the other actors or the agencies,¡± and added, ¡°We will first file an arrest warrant, then continue on with further investigation.¡±

Actors Han (31) and Chang (29), who are also alleged to be implicated to this case, reported to police Sunday without notice and were questioned for about an hour. According to police, Han and Chang, who are with the same agency, came to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency with their lawyers and admitted that they paid W200 million and W300 million respectively to a broker to avoid military service.

The police said ¡°the total number of 51 professional baseball players are subject to legal punishment,¡± and added that ¡°including the twenty players whose statutory limitation had already passed, 71 people will be filed as draft-dodgers to the Military Manpower Administration.¡±